Smith actually benefitted from a baserunning mishap earlier in the game as he was thrown out at second trying to turn a single into a double. As a result, he was credited with a single, his only single of the game, making the cycle possible.

Smith told MILB.com that his teammates didn’t even realize he had hit for the cycle until he returned the dugout: “Everyone forgot about my double. Everybody was coming up to me and saying, ‘Oh, that’s too bad you got thrown out at second, you could have had a cycle.’… And then everyone thought, ‘Oh, crap,’ and there was kind of a late celebration.”

The 23-year-old Smith, a former 9th round pick of the Tribe in the 2011 draft, is batting just .251 this season wit a .298 on-base percentage.

Tony Lastoria ranked Smith as the Indians’ 19th best prospect entering the season. After a brutal first few months, Smith’s future was seriously in doubt but hopefully this helps spark a strong end to the season for Smith.

About the Author

Ryan McCrystal, who joined IPL in 2012, grew up a diehard Kenny Lofton fan and contends that Albert Belle belongs in the Hall of Fame. Ryan formerly worked for the worldwide leader on a variety of shows including Baseball Tonight and the Little League World Series.